Chapter 13 #4
After taking off her apron as well, Astrid leaned back against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms over her chest. Her teasing expression slowly faded into something more thoughtful as she studied Elise.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she spoke.
"Can I ask you something?"
Elise looked at her curiously.
Astrid tilted her head slightly, her eyes moving over Elise as if she was trying to understand something she couldn't quite figure out.
"You are so perfect."
The words came out honestly.
Not as a compliment meant to flatter her, but as an observation.
"You know everything about him. What he likes, what he doesn't like... even something as small as how a little pinch of salt changes the taste of his cookies."
She glanced at the plate of cookies before turning back to Elise, a thoughtful look crossing her face.
"So... when did Xavier stop loving you?"
The question caught Elise off guard.
Astrid continued, her voice softer. "I mean... you were his girlfriend, right? When did he stop loving you?"
Elise didn't answer immediately.
Her fingers rested lightly against the edge of the kitchen island as her gaze slowly lowered. The question sounded so simple, yet it stirred something inside her heart.
‘When did he stop loving you?’
Did he ever love her at all?
The thought tightened painfully around her heart.
She parted her lips, finally ready to answer, when the sound of the front door opening echoed through the mansion, breaking the silence between them.
Both women instinctively looked toward the foyer.
The steady sound of footsteps followed, growing closer with every second.
Elise's body stilled.
She didn't need to see him to know who it was.
After spending time by Xavier's side, she had unknowingly memorized everything about him.
The rhythm of his footsteps, the quiet confidence in the way he walked, even the subtle presence that seemed to fill every room before he entered—it was all so familiar that she could recognize him without ever lifting her eyes.
A moment later, Xavier appeared.
The instant he stepped into the living room, his sharp gaze swept across the house before settling on the kitchen. His eyes immediately found Elise, then drifted to the plate of freshly baked cookies resting in her hands.
For the briefest moment, satisfaction flickered across his otherwise unreadable face.
‘So she finally realized she'd made a mistake.’
He had made himself perfectly clear that Astrid wasn't leaving the mansion, and judging by the plate of cookies in Elise's hands, she had finally decided to stop being stubborn and pacify him.
The thought crossed his mind only briefly before his expression returned to its usual cold indifference. Without slowing his pace, he strode into the living room, his polished shoes echoing softly against the hardwood floor.
The moment Elise saw him approaching, she instinctively reached for the plate and walked toward him.
She wasn't thinking.
Her body simply moved before her mind had a chance to stop it.
Months of living with him had turned the gesture into pure muscle memory. As she stopped in front of him, she naturally picked up one of the warm cookies between her fingers and, with a gentle smile, lifted it toward his lips.
"Here," she said softly. "I made these for you. They're especially good today."
The cookie hovered only inches from his mouth.
Xavier didn't move.
His eyes slowly dropped to the cookie before lifting back to her face.
A faint crease formed between his brows, and an unmistakable look of displeasure settled over his handsome features.
Slipping one hand into the pocket of his tailored trousers, he looked at her in silence for a long moment before letting out a quiet scoff.
"You think you're going to win me back with a few cookies?"
His voice was low and emotionless.
"I've already decided." His gaze shifted briefly toward Astrid before returning to Elise. "I'm going to be with Astrid."
Elise froze for the briefest moment before blinking.
"Oh... right."
A look of sudden realization crossed her face as she lightly tapped her forehead with her free hand, almost amused at herself for forgetting. Without another thought, she lowered the cookie and gave a small, apologetic smile.
"I forgot." She looked up at Xavier matter-of-factly. "You wouldn't like the food I cook anymore." Then, as though reminding herself of a simple fact, she added, "I'm not your girlfriend anymore."
There wasn't a trace of self-pity in her voice.
It was simply an acknowledgment of how things were now.
Shifting the plate into one hand, she turned toward Astrid and gestured for her to come over.
"Astrid made these for you," she said, stepping aside to give her room. "Go ahead. I'm sure you'll like hers."
Astrid smiled immediately and walked over without hesitation.
The moment those words left Elise's mouth, however, Xavier's expression subtly changed.
His eyes remained fixed on the plate before slowly lifting back to Elise.
"The cookies..." he repeated, his brows drawing together almost imperceptibly. "Say that again."
His gaze stayed on her.
"Who made them?"